Bloodlust
by captaincreeds
Summary: Vampire AU. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for you are with me. GerIta.
1. Chapter 1

Nightclubs were among the best places to seek out prey.

Drunk young clubbers stumbling out into the dark streets, attempting to hobble home through the city's alleyways. If possible, it was best to go for a foreigner, a student on a gap year, perhaps. An older teen away from home getting pissed in a strange country, supposedly taking a tumble into the dirty water, their bloated bodies would turn up a day or two afterwards in one of the canals. It happened often enough without the local vampires coming into the equation. It spared them a lot of suspicion.

That night was no different.

He watched, indifferent, as the corpse floated on the surface of the water. She had been too easy. A French girl, falling around giggling with one her heels broken, all to willing to go off somewhere quiet with the handsome young man that offered his assistance.

She didn't even scream when she was slammed against a wall and two sharp fangs pierced her skin, draining her blood from her body, draining her of life. Once he had pulled back and let her slide down the wall, he watched as she spent her precious final seconds staring up at him in absolute horror.

Some people prayed, some cursed and even fought back, others like her silently accepted their fate.

He had wasted no time in grabbing the body by its hair, dragging it toward the water and using his free hand to wipe the dark liquid from his chin. Her blood wasn't exactly delicious, but he had been _so hungry_ that it would have to do. For now.

Ludwig licked his lips and tasted the metallic flavour that still lingered. Then he simply turned and set off for home, his hunger satisfied for the moment.


	2. Chapter 2

The chapels of Venice were undoubtedly the best places to seek out artistic inspiration.

Not just the large, fancy places. Oh no, sometimes it was nice to take a step back. That was what brought Feliciano Vargas to the old, derelict church that day. Feliciano liked it there. He had drawn the church from many different angles, some of the more elaborate gravestones and tombs and even done some nice oil paintings of the broken gargoyles. He had yet to venture inside, however. No matter how beautiful the church seemed to him, there was no question that it was still _very_ spooky.

He hummed to himself as he shuffled up the path in trainers that were far too big for him, the laces dragging in the dry dirt. Today he had decided to go around the back of the church and finish off an older sketch of the only complete angel statue on the roof. Maybe once he was done with the lines he would colour it with pastel or chalk...

He never bothered bringing a chair or blanket to sit on. He placed his bag on the ground and settled on a patch of grass, worn from sitting in the same place so often. Feliciano quickly became engrossed in his work, his eyebrows knitting together in concentration, eyes flitting back and forth from the roof to his page whilst his hand never stilled at all--.

His artist's concentration, however, was soon broken.

Usually, there was nobody else there. Sometimes a stray cat would come up for a pet, but he was yet to see another person who frequented the old building as much as he did. That was why he jumped in surprise when he _swore_ he saw a figure out the corner of his eye, disappearing behind the church as soon as he looked up.

Standing up and jogging over with his sketchpad pressed to his chest, Feliciano peered around the wall. "Ciao?" He called, staring at the empty path that lead to the entrance. "Is someone there?"

The graveyard remained deadly silent.

Feliciano shrugged it off easily, happily going back to his spot amongst the old graves to continue his drawing and forget about the small disturbance.

As usual, Feliciano stayed until the sun began to set and the sky had turned orange and red. As he packed up and patted dust from his clothes, he mused about staying later a few days, finding a good angle and capturing the church with the sunset in the background... That would be nice. But he would have to bring something to eat with him.

On cue, Feliciano's stomach grumbled in hunger. He pouted, patted his tummy and walked a bit faster, turning down narrow streets and alleys until he reached the small house where he and his brother stayed.

"Ve, fratello, I'm home!"

The response he got was the same as always, a crashing of pans and an angry yelp coming from the kitchen. Feliciano threw his jacket over a wicker chair in the hallway, quickly escaping into the attic.

The attic was a special place for him. His brother often complained it was too warm and dusty and made him sneeze, so he didn't often come up other than to give Feliciano some food whenever he got too caught up in his work to make himself a meal.

The young artist unpacked his bag, putting his box of charcoal away in his desk and spreading his sketches over the top of it. He paused, looking at them thoughtfully, before pinning a few of them up on his already cluttered wall.

"Oi, Feliciano! Dinner, now!"

Feliciano obediently returned down the stairs, sitting down at the table across from his brother. Though he was so hungry he could have eaten the whole bowl in about thirty seconds flat, he clasped his hands together, closed his eyes and let his brother lead their prayer. Although he was hungry, they had to thank God for their pasta, after all!

Eventually, Lovino concluded with an amen, and they began eating. Their prayers had lasted longer today, so Feliciano knew what was coming.

"I'll be away for a few days." Lovino said, picking the tomatoes out of his salad and stabbing at them with his fork.

"Does fratello have work to do?" Feliciano asked.

Lovino nodded. "Yeah. There's been a lot of creepy shit happening around here lately."

"Like what?"

Lovino shuddered, "It's gross, you don't want to know. Just shut up and eat."

Feliciano didn't want to be put off his pasta, so he didn't press the issue and Lovino didn't go into more detail.

* * *

If only Feliciano had looked up. Maybe he would have seen the blond man watching him, crouched amongst the broken angel statues.

Any other vampire would have pounced the young artist by now. He was always on his own in the church yard, it was quiet, there would be no witnesses... He wasn't entirely sure if it was what stopped him killing the other man these past two years, but Ludwig could readily admit to himself that he enjoyed observing him. He had an innocent, childish fascination with the world around him which was... refreshing in Ludwig's somewhat dark existence.

Ludwig and his brother were living in a trailer on an empty expanse of dust land, for the time being. Technically they weren't supposed to be there, in fact Ludwig was sure it was illegal, but the Italian authorities had made no effort to move them on and for the most part, nobody disturbed them. Their dogs would chase off anyone who got too close, anyway.

His brother was outside their trailer, beer in one hand while the other scratched their German Shepherd behind the ears. He grinned as Ludwig approached, his mouth stained scarlet, the same deep red as his eyes. "Left you a snack, West."

"Danke, but I already ate." Ludwig replied, giving Blackie a quick pet before entering their caravan home.

Sprawled out on the sofa was a dark-haired girl, her hands bound behind her back and her mouth gagged with a scarf. Most of her clothing lay in shreds across the floor, but Ludwig didn't so much as bat an eyelid as he got himself a beer from the fridge. He glanced at the blood drying on the walls and rolled his eyes, sighing. His brother had always been a messy eater, which led to an unnecessary amount of mess despite how Ludwig lectured him about how blood stains were difficult to remove from the carpet.

He only looked the girl in the eye when she made a pathetic, pleading noise. That was pretty impressive, judging by how much blood she was bound to have lost already. She stared at him with pleading, watery eyes and sobbed, just once.

Ludwig smirked, tipped his hat politely at her and left again. He heard her struggling against her bindings as he shut the trailer door.

He sunk down on to the short set of stairs, leaning back against the door. His brother looked round from his deckchair. "Still alive, huh?"

"Somehow." Ludwig replied, using his teeth to uncap the bottle. "You'd better clean up that mess."

Gilbert only laughed, a short bark of a laugh, and went back to his beer.

* * *

A/N. I... will get to the actual plot eventually, promise. If you read, maybe take the time to give me a review too? I just want to make sure I'm not writing a load of crap. xD


	3. Chapter 3

Feliciano loved his fratello lots, but it was nice to have the house to himself when he left for work occasionally. He usually slept in even later than Lovino, and that meant he woke to his brother shouting at him to get up most mornings. After peacefully dozing for a good hour or so, he happily rolled out of bed and went to make himself some breakfast, then had a nice, though very one-sided, conversation with the stray cat he fed twice a day on the windowsill.

On odd days, he would take a collection of his paintings down to the local market to sell them to tourists and the occasional regular collector who liked his work, but today he decided he would rather go back to his church. That was the good thing about being an artist, it meant you could be completely free, spontaneous. Feliciano hummed happily to himself, and then packed yesterday's leftovers in a box to take with him for lunch. Today he was going to go to his church again.

It was a fairly warm, stuffy day, which attracted a lot of insects to the grass. Feliciano didn't fancy getting bitten by bugs, so instead he set down his lunch box and perched on the top step of the church, leaning back against the heavy wooden doors. He could hear the bump echo through the empty hall inside the church. He wondered what it looked like inside. The main and side doors were always locked and the windows were too high to climb too and Feliciano could never bring himself to break the pretty stained glass anyway. Still, the Italian was perfectly content to sit outside and admire the old building and it's grounds.

The hours passed as he built up a detailed sketch of the landscape; not missing a single crack on the ancient stones, bow on the drooping tree and the dark of the shadows it cast over the graveyard. Just as he was diligently adding some shading to a cracked gravestone shadowed by a tree, something caught his eye. Again. This seemed to happening often lately. He looked up towards the corner of the church, but there was nothing there. Feliciano swore he had seen something moving... but maybe he was just imagining things. Perhaps the heat was getting to him? Or maybe he was just hungry! Yes, that had to be it!

Humming happily to himself, Feliciano set down his sketch pad and pencil. He set the pasta container on his lap, taking off the lid and delving into his shoulder bag for a fork. As he ate his lunch, he forgot about seeing anything. Instead he watched a group of white pigeons cooing and pecking at the grass, a big black crow watching them with beady eyes from the top of a broken cross stone. Feliciano was a man who was easily amused.

There was that shadow again, lurking in the very corner of his vision.

He whipped his head round, but it had disappeared again. However there was a stirring of white dust, giving away that he was not alone and whatever- _who_ever- was there didn't want him to notice and made a hasty departure. Abandoning his art and lunch box, Feliciano darted around the corner. He was met with an empty alley between the church and the wall. For a minute, he considered the small side door that was there, but he had tried that door a few times, and it had always been locked tight. Confused, he jogged to the end of the path and peered around the corner into the graveyard. It was empty.

"Hello?" He called, squinting around the graveyard. "Ve, is somebody there?"

He received no response, shrugged to himself and quickly dismissed it as an animal scurrying about. He turned back and walked back the way he'd came.

A slow, eerie creak suddenly pierced the silence of the grounds. Feliciano turned to peer over his shoulder. The small door had swung open behind him, revealing the broken latch. That was odd. Peering inside, the interior of the chapel was not as dark as Feliciano had expected for natural light shone from up ahead. Though with the building slowly falling apart, it wouldn't be surprising if parts were missing and letting sunlight creep in.

The church, at one point, would have been rather beautiful, Feliciano thought as he wandered through the door and into the main hall. The organ was still attached to the wall, though many of the pipes were missing, broken or rusting. The wooden altar platform and pews had been eaten away by woodworm and rot over the years, traces of the intricate carvings and patterning they had been adorned with still barely remained.

The church hall was so dusty it made Feliciano sneeze. The noise echoed through the hall, upsetting several roosting white birds and causing them to take flight through a gaping hole in the roof. It was strangely cold inside, Feliciano shivered and pulled his sleeves down over his arms, hugging himself to keep the chill at bay.

"Ciao...?" Feliciano called out again, letting out a squeak of surprise when his voice echoed back at him.

There was a low scraping sound- a shoe sole against wood that came from his right. He looked over to the wooden pillars and saw a man standing there, hands in his pockets.

Maybe it was because they were standing in the cold, dull light, but the man before his looked unhealthily pale; muscular, tall and well built, but his facial features ever so slightly gaunt. Although his face lacked any from of emotion as they took in each other's presence, he had a stern, square face and narrow, blue eyes that were unnaturally piercing at staring right into Feliciano's. Somehow he managed to be handsome and frightening all at once.

Feliciano laughed, knowing he sounded rather giddy. "I didn't know anybody else came here!" Feliciano exclaimed. "Ve! You gave me a fright!"

The blond man looked at him for a second, but that was okay, a lot of people did that when they first talked to him. A lot of the time Feliciano supposed they didn't know quite what to say back. Finally, the stranger cleared his throat and responded in broken Italian, "I am sorry if I scared you. I was not expecting someone else to be here."

"Oooh." Feliciano smiled. The stranger's accent was too harsh and halting on the Italian words, there was no way he came from anywhere with a romantic language. He switched to English, having learnt it mainly to talk to tourists, figuring it was more likely to be a mutual language. "Do you speak English? I'm Feliciano, what's your name? You're not from here, are you? Your accent is really weird!"

"I do. My name is Ludwig. And no, I'm not from here- I'm originally from Germany." Ludwig replied, also in English, answering his rapid-fire questions much better than most people did.

Feliciano liked him already.

"Oh, I've never been there, but I'm sure it's a nice place!" Feliciano said brightly. He had never really been out of Italy; he rarely went outside Venice unless it was to visit his grandfather in Rome.

"It's alright, I suppose." Ludwig looked hesitant for a moment, his eyes flickering down to the wooden floor. Wow, Feliciano thought, he must be really shy!

"Ve, so what is Ludwig doing here?" He asked, trying to spur the German on. Then he suddenly remembered being disturbed the other day as well, "Where you here a few days ago, Ludwig? I was sure I saw someone then..."

"Ah, no, I wasn't. This is my first time coming here." Ludwig paused and coughed, turning a bit red. Feliciano couldn't blame him though, it was really dusty in the old church hall. "And I... just have an interest in Italian architecture. Especially churches."

This made Feliciano smile even wider. He liked when foreigners admired his country, but if someone else could see the same beauty in an old, decrepit church as he could, it made him really, really happy! Maybe he had found a new friend that wasn't Lovi! "Oh, well I draw lots of pictures of this church! I'd be happy to show them to you!"

Ludwig looked at him for a moment. Then he nodded. "Ja. I'd... like that very much."

Feliciano grinned and linked his arm through Ludwig's. Oblivious to any discomfort his new friend may have had with the contact he babbled away and led him towards the door, back out into the warm sunshine.

* * *

Lovino's line of work wasn't exactly conventional, but he had been raised especially for it, bred to continue his family's legacy. Now that his grandfather was too old to do any of the dirty work himself, the title and burden of being a slayer now fell to him. He was damn good at his job too; his parents had died fighting the blood sucking bastards scattered across the earth, and he wasn't going to let their deaths be in vain. And nothing was more satisfying than driving a stake through a parasite's heart. Plus, it was the one thing he was decent at and Feliciano couldn't do in a million years. It was bitter and petty, but part of him kept going to gain his grandfather's favour. Maybe then he'd he'd see that his stupid little brother wasn't so fucking perfect after all.

The slayers' numbers were dwindling as the years passed, but there weren't many vampires around either nowadays and if someone did notice them, they were very good at blending into modern society. He just had to try and be as low-key as them at strike at the first available chance. When a job did come up, it usually meant him travelling fairly far away from home, so he was surprised when he was contacted about a local job. And pretty pissed off. The last thing he needed was his _work_ following him home. He decided it was best to stay in a hotel away from his and Feliciano's apartment.

He met with Vash in a small square not far from where he was currently staying, sitting down next to him on a bench. Lovino had worked with him a few times in the past; he was a quiet guy until you touched a nerve or invaded his personal space. He had the temperament of an old man who constantly yelled at kids to get of his damn lawn.

After the other slayer didn't so much as look at him for a good minute or so, Lovino elbowed him in the arm. "Oi, bastard."

Vash's green eyes flickered up, then narrowed into a glare. "I was enjoying the peace and quiet."

"Usually you jump up and aim your gun at anything that moves." Lovino rolled his eyes, waving a hand dismissively. "Whatever your problem is, I don't want to fucking know. Give me the details already, idiota."

"Believe me, you're the last person on earth I'd confide in about personal matters." Vash snapped back, running a hand through his hair.

"Good, keep it that way."

With an annoyed huff, Vash reached into his jacket and brought out a thin file, opening it to a page bookmarked by a photograph of a dark-haired girl. "New victim. Found in the canal."

"The canal again?" Lovino frowned, memorizing trivial but necessary details from the page. "Been a lot of bodies showing up there in the past few months." He flicked over to the next page and scanned the pictures there, the ones from her autopsy.

"Yes," Vash rolled his eyes, "amateurishly disposed of, but since the water bloated and helped the bodies decompose quickly, it hid these-."

Vash pointed back to the picture. Amongst the ripped and torn off bits of skin, tell-tale wounds punctured her body- fang marks. It felt wrong to be looking at young lady in such a state, but Lovino told himself it was necessary. He'd cross himself once this was over with. "Perverted succhia-sangue bastardi..."

"Mhm." Vash was quiet for a moment. "This girl is- _was_ my sister's friend."

Lovino frowned. Him and Vash usually rubbed each other the wrong way, but he was always polite to Vash's little sister, Lili, the rare times he had met her. She was a nice enough girl, but she seemed to really admire Vash for some reason. Why anyone would look up to a guy like him was beyond Lovino. "I suppose she took the news pretty badly then."

"She's been missing since we first heard about the body. And she took some of my... equipment." Vash snapped, getting to his feet and crossing his arms across his chest. His green eyes narrowed even more than usual as he turned to glare down at Lovino. "She is _not _going to end up like that girl. I won't allow it."

Lovino shook his head. Lili had never seemed like the sort to run recklessly into a situation like that, but the thought of a nice girl like her ending up at the hands of a vampire didn't sit well with Lovino at all. "It's our job to take out the bastardi." Lovino tucked the documents away in his jacket and got up, "But I guess I can keep an eye out for Lili too."

"I'd appreciate it." Vash said, not sounding at all thankful. Then again, Vash rarely showed any emotion apart from blind rage.

They walked away in separate directions without another word. That was just how they functioned. When you were a slayer, you couldn't afford to make personal ties. You or your comrades could be killed at any moment. In the worst circumstances you might even have to kill your own allies if a vampire got to them first. Some of the bastards were sick and twisted with their humour like that.

Lovino shoved his hands deep into his pockets, fingers clasped protectively around a pistol trigger, and made his way through the dark and narrow alleyways of Venice.

* * *

A/N; Is it bad I'm getting too far ahead of myself and already thinking up a sequel to this? orz. I think I need a bit of practice writing out conversations too.


	4. Chapter 4

Feliciano enjoyed having a friend.

Ludwig was quiet, but the Italian talked enough for the both of them. He wasn't very forthcoming with details about himself, but Feliciano didn't mind. He was nice and genuinely admired Feliciano's art. Feliciano knew enough about him to know he was a nice guy; he liked dogs and had three, he enjoyed baking but hardly got the chance, his favourite colour was green and he also had an older brother.

And he was very good-looking. Feliciano wished he was as skilled in sculpture as he was in paint and chalk, because it was the only way to capture those fine, firm muscles and do them justice. But then again, stone would hide the finer details of his face- the light blush that seemed ever-present on his cheeks, the lovely light blond colour of his hair, his skin which seemed unnaturally pale- especially for a foreigner in a warm country. Then there was his eyes- piercing blue in colour, but they grew subtly darker around the pupils, like a lake growing deeper and deeper towards the center. Maybe it was his artist's mind running away with him, but it gave Feliciano the impression there was a lot more to Ludwig hiding under that somber gaze and green cap he sometimes wore. The mysteriousness only made him more attractive.

"Ve, Ludwig would make a good model." Feliciano had said seemingly out of the blue one day. He tugged on Ludwig's arm and smiled up at him. "You're handsome, you know."

Feliciano had never seen anyone blush so hard in his life. Even the tips of his ears went red. "I- I'm not that-."

"No, no, you are." Feliciano insisted. Because it was the truth, and he wondered why Ludwig denied it. Perhaps he didn't see himself in the same way Feliciano did. "In a unique way. There's something quite... ah, ve, what would you call it? Supernatural? Si, there's something quite supernatural about you. Especially your eyes. They're such pretty blue..."

Ludwig cleared his throat awkwardly and looked in another direction. Feliciano only continued, "Ve, I bet Ludwig's had a lot of girlfriends, right?"

Ludwig was starting to turn the same colour as those lovely, plump tomatoes Feliciano usually got from the market. "No, I have not."

"Oh." Feliciano waited on Ludwig elaborating, but he didn't. In fact, he seemed really embarrassed... Wasn't this what men usually talked about together? "Ve, I've taken a few girls out on dates before, but that's it."

Even if he wanted to have a girlfriend- or even a boyfriend, gender was unimportant to Feliciano -it could be dangerous. Lovino's job meant he was constantly in danger of being hurt; dragged into a dark world he wanted no part in should Lovino's enemies find out about him. It wouldn't be fair to put someone else in danger- especially someone he loved.

"I have no interest in women." Ludwig said curtly, still not looking at Feliciano.

"Oh right!" _Now _Feliciano understood! "Ve, sorry! So, Ludwig's had lots of _boyfriends_, then?"

Then Ludwig hit himself in the head for some reason, then got really flustered as he denied Feliciano's question.

They had a nice talk after that, but sadly Feliciano had to leave early. Part of him had hoped that Ludwig would be disappointed- after all, he wanted Ludwig to enjoy his company as much as Feliciano enjoyed his, but Ludwig simply shrugged and said he had business to attend to anyway. Maybe it was a work thing... Though he still hadn't found out what Ludwig did for a living. He still had a lot to find out about his new friend.

They parted ways at the gate, going in completely different directions. Feliciano turned to wave when he was about to disappear around a corner, but Ludwig was nowhere to be seen.

Feliciano shrugged and carried on. Ludwig must have been in a real hurry! Perhaps he should hurry up too. Neither of them were the most punctual of people, but Feliciano knew better than to keep his fratello waiting too long.

The cafe Lovino arranged for them to meet at was tucked into a side street, surrounded by apartment buildings so there was a refreshing lack of tourists trying to order 'caw-fee' in poor, broken Italian. It made the place feel a little empty, but there was a cute girl serving and working behind the till. Feliciano had been having a nice chat with her until an older man had ushered her back to the counter and looked at him funny. He was a really strange guy...

Feliciano twirled his fingers around the porcelain cup handle, sipping at his sickly sweet tea. Rat's piss, Lovino called it, but he had his own tea so strong Feliciano was surprised he could stomach it. Another one of the many ways they were so different from each other, Feliciano mused as he set the mug down and gazed out the grubby windows.

"Oi, idiota." Lovino greeted him with a light swat to the head, a gesture he always used when trying to get his brother's attention. Though sometimes he done it a bit harder, which wasn't very nice. Feliciano smiled and stood up to embrace his older sibling.

"Ciao, fratello! How is work? Are you okay? Is your hotel nice? Will you—!"

"One question at a fucking time." Lovino placed his hands firmly on Feliciano's shoulders and pushed him back down into his seat. Then he sat down himself and waved the cute waitress over. He ordered a black tea with a strange politeness he reserved only for women. Feliciano had never really understood it, but Lovino didn't seem to like other men all that much.

Feeling it was safe to try again, Feliciano repeated his first question, "So, _is_ work okay?"

"It's shit. As always." Lovino replied, crossing his arms across his chest.

"Oh," Feliciano took another sip of his tea, "Aren't you scared, fratello? I mean, they're right on our doorstep and I would-"

"Keep your voice down, idiot!" Lovino scolded. The waitress returned with Lovino's drink and set it down without a word. Maybe she could read the atmosphere. Lovino said he had trouble doing that sometimes... The older sibling spoke only when the server girl was back behind the confines of the till. "Don't make us look shifty, damn it. Especially in front of a girl."

"Ve, I'm sorry, big brother..." Feliciano lowered his head and pouted slightly. He was just worried about his brother, but all he seemed to do was make him angry. But he had lots and lots of reasons to be concerned! Lovino had a really dangerous job! And Feliciano knew his sibling was just as cowardly as him, even if he hid it better.

"Look, we'll catch the bastards. We always do." Lovino said. Feliciano looked up through his choppy fringe at him. "Besides, you know what to do if you get in trouble."

Feliciano nodded, his normal grin back in place as if nothing had been wrong. "Si, I know what to do, brother!"

Lovino nodded back, once, in affirmation. "Bene."

The remaining time of their hasty get-together consisted of normal, mundane chatter. Feliciano told his brother all about his paintings, how the kitty he fed was doing and anything that was on his mind. He tried not to babble too much, because he knew it annoyed Lovino a lot. But he still listened to Lovino ranting about silly little things Feliciano would forget within a few minutes; like a stranger bumping into him in the street. But the older Vargas sibling could get extremely worked up over the littlest of things.

There was one topic he dared not breach with Lovino: his new friend. Ludwig was really nice, and it was comforting to have someone that wasn't his cat or a tourist to talk to, but Lovino wouldn't understand that. Lovino had always very suspicious and disapproving of anyone who so much as struck up a conversation with Feliciano. Maybe he was just being grossly over-protective, or he was just that bitter towards the human race in general, but it was really upsetting. Feliciano wanted a life and friends too.

When they had drained their mugs and left a tip for the cute waitress, Feliciano hugged his brother tightly in the street. As normal, Lovino didn't return the embrace.

"I'll miss you, fratello!" Feliciano said as Lovino squirmed out of the hold. "You'll call and text me lots, won't you?"

"Yeah, yeah. Calm down." Lovino brushed his clothes down out of habit. Feliciano was usually covered in art supplies when he pounced on him for hugs. His hand hovered over his jacket pocket for a moment, then he reached in and brought out a folded photograph. "Hey, do you remember Lili?"

"Oh, si! Of course!" Feliciano beamed and took the picture of the young girl. Feliciano hadn't seen her for a while, but he had looked after her in the past when their brothers went away on business. For some reason Vash didn't like him too much- maybe it was because the first time they met, Feliciano had wandered into the kitchen naked after a siesta and didn't take the hint to put on clothes before introducing himself- but he seemed even more protective than Lovino, and didn't like leaving Lili alone. She was a pretty, quiet girl who didn't talk that much, but she liked it when Feliciano drew things for her. Sometimes she would go home with entire sketch pads full of doodles of bunnies and other cute animals.

"She's missing."

Feilciano's smile vanished immediately. "Missing? Uwah, Lovi! What if she's hurt! Ve, we should-!"

"Oi, don't make a scene, stupido!" Lovino narrowed his eyes, "Look, for some reason she likes you, so I thought she might try and see you. If she does, you call me right away. Understand?"

"I understand." Feliciano nodded glumly and placed the picture in his trouser pocket. Lili was a nice girl, and he hoped she was okay. Feliciano wished he could help more, but all he could really do was keep an eye out for her and call his brother if anything came up.

Sadly, Feliciano wandered back through the dark streets. dreading going back to his empty apartment. When he did get home, he noticed even his cat had deserted him for the night.

* * *

"Is there something bothering you?"

Feliciano met Ludwig again a few days later, at their church. He wasn't wearing cap that day, and now that the artist looked closer, Ludwig actually looked a bit healthier than usual; he had a bit more colour to his face and didn't squint so much in the sun. Perhaps he had been ill... Oh, he _really _didn't need someone else to worry about now... It made him feel like crying a little.

"No, no, of course not!" Feliciano tried to dismiss Ludwig's question, but there was something about the other man's intensely blue eyes that seemed to see right through him, turning him transparent and unable to hide anything. So he sighed and admitted, "Well, there is something..."

"I see." Ludwig paused, "Would you like to talk about it?"

He sounded rather awkward, as if he feared of prying, but talking made Feliciano feel better. And Ludwig was the only person he had to talk to.

"My brother has a dangerous job. And his partner's little sister is missing." Feliciano tried to be vague about his brother's taboo line of work. Ludwig didn't seem like he would press Feliciano for details he wasn't willing to give. He was nice. "She was a really nice girl. Sometimes I looked after her while our brothers were away. Ve, I'm worried about her, Ludwig..."

"Oh. Right..." His friend sounded uneasy. Ludwig did seem a bit awkward, not used to comforting people. He probably just didn't know how to react. "Have you contacted the authorities?"

"Si," Feliciano replied. "they're looking for her just now."

"Then I'm sure they'll find something." Ludwig said sympathetically.

"I hope so, Ludwig..." Feliciano curled up more, hugging his legs and resting his chin on his knees. "Venice isn't very safe these days."

Ludwig didn't say anything and Feliciano stared ahead, beyond the gate of the churchyard. Then a strong, heavy hand squeezed Feliciano's shoulder. The Italian supposed Ludwig meant it as a comforting gesture. "Er, you know, Feliciano, me and my brother travel around Venice quite a lot, perhaps I could keep an eye out for her."

Feliciano looked at Ludwig then smiled widely. "Really? Ludwig would do that?"

"Of course."

The Italian clapped his hands. Oh, Ludwig was so _nice_! He looked a little bit scary, but he wasn't as bad as the grumpy German tourists wearing socks and sandals that he usually dealt with. "Ve, that'd be great, Ludwig! Ve, she has blonde hair to about-."

"It would be easier if you had a picture."

Feliciano blinked. It was a bit of an odd request, but he complied with another happy smile as he dug around in his pockets. "Si, si, that makes much more sense!"

He handed the photograph over to Ludwig. He frowned heavily as he examined it, wrinkling his forehead. It was a shame, Ludwig was so handsome but he never _smiled_... And all that frowning would give him premature wrinkles! And it would be such a shame to ruin a pretty face like that-!

"May I take this?"

Feliciano was yanked away from his thoughts. Ludwig was looking at him steadily, gesturing to the picture he had just been given. "If you think it'll help you find her, Ludwig!" He had many pictures of Lili at home; photographs and portraits. He had no use for it, so why not?

"It will help, yes." Ludwig nodded determinedly, then folded it and put it in the back pocket of his jeans.

Feliciano felt slightly more hopeful. He was _sure_ he had done the right thing.

* * *

Ludwig tended not to dwell on who or how many people he killed. He wasn't certain if this was a shared trait among his kind or just him, but he could remember many of his victim's faces. He could never forget the fear, the emotion of their faces as he ended their lives, draining them of all they had.

Not that it stopped him. They were just another meal and he had to feed to survive, after all. Humans slaughtered their cattle and harvested their crops; his kind did the exact same. At least, this was how _he_ justified it to himself. So called 'vegetarian' vampires that fed on animal blood could get by, yes, but they'd grow weak from improper nourishment eventually. And in their world, it was survival of the fittest.

As he recalled the many faces of people he had killed, not one matched the photograph he had been given. He was blissfully relieved. Feliciano seemed rather distraught about her disappearance, and Ludwig didn't want the weight of his sadness resting with him. But there was still one more person who might be responsible for her current state.

Ludwig held up the photograph, standing in front of the television to get his brother's attention. "Have you seen this girl, bruder?"

Gilbert huffed and lent to the side to see past the younger vampire. "Nah, never. Why?"

"She's missing. I thought you might have... disposed of her." Ludwig moved out the way, sinking down beside his brother on the worn couch. He folded the photo in half and placed in in the pocket of his jeans. As far as Ludwig knew, Gilbert and himself were the only vampires in the area just now (and they would know if others came into their territory), so there was a good chance the girl could still be alive, if another human hadn't taken her life. He just had to make sure she didn't join his list of victims.

Gilbert settled back into his terrible foreign soap opera for a moment before his curiosity got the better of him. "Who is she?"

"Someone close to a friend." Ludwig replied, keeping his eyes on the terribly acted scene on the television. Honestly, Italian soap dramas and their flair for melodramatics. "So try not to kill her, bruder."

"...you have a friend?" Gilbert snorted, ignoring his brother's request then beginning to laugh in his usual rasping manner. "Kesese... Really? You're not kidding?"

"No. I am not." Ludwig frowned. "I met him just recently."

"Ooooh, West." Gilbert leant towards his little brother, his pale eyebrows raised in interest, "Bruderchen, tell me more!"

Ludwig frowned, "There is nothing more to tell. I met him one day, we began talking and now we sometimes meet." Well, they met fairly often, but Gilbert didn't need to know that. He would only try to interfere. But this didn't seem to satisfy Gilbert. The older vampire merely sat there and grinned at him. "What is it, bruder?"

"I'm gonna take a wild guess and say he's human, right?" He waited on Ludwig nodding hesitantly before continuing, "Right! Since when do you hang around with humans? Is he something _special_, West?"

"Something... special?" Ludwig didn't understand what his brother was trying to imply, but he shook his head. "He's only a friend. Believe it or not, it's a nice change to have someone to talk to that isn't you..."

Gilbert looked rather taken aback, making a slight strangled noise as his eyebrows knitted together in a hurt frown. "Wh- what's wrong with my company, eh? Don't you like talking to your big brother? N- nah, of course you do, tch!"

Gilbert stood up, shaking his head and waving his hand dismissively as he head for his room, muttering to himself. "Kids these days... Don't understand my wisdom..."

Ludwig watched as the door closed behind him, then went back to his soap opera. Alejandro was currently having a shouting argument with Fernando and Roberto over their lover that involved plenty of wild hand gestures and babbling and still, even it was less melodramatic than his big brother could be.

* * *

A/N: Oh hai, FF, I live! Sorry this took so long to update, it's been a busy couple of months, but I plan to update a lot more frequently from now on. Enjoy the story and feel free to leave me reviews- crit and general love are greatly appreciated!


	5. Chapter 5

It was late evening and Feliciano was taking his usual shortcut home, his easel over one shoulder and his bag slung over the other. He had sold quite a few paintings that day, enough to justify treating himself to a nice rosso wine. Cheerful as ever and looking forward to enjoying his treat along with the remains of a margherita he had made the previous day, Feliciano sung to himself as he took his usual shortcut home through the alleys. There was faint music from somewhere in the distance, from a busker, perhaps, serving as his only accompaniment.

"Non c'è il leone, chissà dov'è..."

Suddenly a short young woman swooped around the next sharp corner as Feliciano was just about to round it, slamming straight into him. It wasn't the most chaotic of collisions, but enough to make her stumble slightly. Feliciano caught her gently by the arm.

"I'm so sorry, signorina-!"

He began apologising profusely, appalled that he had banged right into a lady. It was only when he took a step back and saw her face that he suddenly fell silent.

"..._Lili_?"

There was no mistaking Vash's sister- they looked so much alike. She was dirty, but wearing a pretty, deep red dress that brushed her knees. It was a dress Feliciano had seen her in a few times before and supposed it was her favourite- when they had taken a picnic to the park, when they had went to a nice gelato shop together, but now it was stained scuffed and the hem was covered in kicked up dust. Her hair still held it's trademark ribbon, but it was full of tugs and looked unwashed. Lili had clearly been very busy since her disappearance.

"Lili! Lili you're alright!" Feliciano pulled her close in a tight hug that she didn't return. She tensed in his arms. "Vash will be so relieved, ve!"

"No!" Lili jerked back, leaving Feliciano to grasp at the air. "You can't tell him, please! Forget you saw me!"

The artist looked at her for a long moment and she stared back at him in determination. Confused by her reaction, he frowned.

"But," Feliciano finally said, and took a step towards the young girl who was cowering like a timid rabbit that could flee at any moment, "he's been so worried about you..."

"I know," she replied, her grip nervously tightening on the strap of her bag. "I know he's worrying about me, but... there's something I have to do."

"What?"

Lili paused, licking her lips nervously. "They... they killed my friend."

Feliciano didn't even need to ask who- or, what –she meant. "Bu- but what are you going to do, Lili? You can't bring back the dead!"

"No, I can't," the girl's teeth gritted slightly, an expression too harsh for her gentle features, "But I can send _them_ to an early grave too."

Feliciano shook his head vigorously. No, she couldn't do this- she couldn't even be considering it. He knew that Lili was more than the sweet, gentle girl she seemed on the outside, but she couldn't fight those unnatural creatures. Not alone. "Lili, you can't beat them all by yourself! Those- those _things_ are dangerous!"

"I can! Brother taught me many things." Even though her face was forcefully sullen, her face reddened, her eyes grew softer out of fondness as she mentioned her sibling. She looked up again, brow furrowed in determination. "I'm not just a useless little girl."

"I didn't mean that..." Feliciano shuffled nervously, unsure what to do. The concept of bravery may have appeared to be foreign to the cowardly Italian, but he knew that what she was doing was just a straight route to an untimely death. He had to try and stop her, somehow. Even if she was Vash's little sister, she wouldn't be able to take on _vampires_, especially in that miserable state.

"Um, how about you come home with me, ve? We don't have to call Lovi or Vash, we can just talk for a while," He looked her over again, taking in her disheveled appearance for a second time. "And you can... maybe have a bath? We'll have dinner! You like my pizza, right? I have some nice wine here, you could even have a little bit!"

He tried to smile. Lili chewed on her chapped lips, looking torn between the idea. "I... I don't know, Feliciano."

"I promise I won't tell Lovi or Vash, really. I just want to make sure you're okay... It's not safe to be chasing them, Lili." Feliciano pleaded, daring to move closer again, his hands clasped together in a pleading motion. "Vash and Lovi will get them. They always do."

There was a very long, heavy pause. Lili looked at him sadly, slowly shaking her head and dropping her gaze to the ground. "It's too late. They killed my best friend, Feliciano. Horribly. Brother tried to hide it from me, but I saw. He wouldn't let me help. I can't just... sit inside and wait, do nothing. The sooner they die, the sooner I can live in peace."

Feliciano didn't have a chance to reply, she took off up the alleyway, her dress whipping at her knees and the crimson fading into the darkness.

"Don't tell my brother you saw me!"

He gave chase, running was one thing he knew he was good at, but he was weighed down by his belongings, and he could hear her light footsteps somewhere in the distance. She must have slipped down a side alley, hidden by the darkness. Feliciano was left to glance around helplessly, alone in the tangle of tiny streets.

* * *

The next day, Feliciano felt awful.

He had wandered aimlessly around the area some more, but eventually he had to go home. It was getting darker by the minute and it made him a little bit scared. He had never been fond of the dark, especially since he knew what may be lurking in it. The wine he had brought home had been opened immediately as he got through the door and he woke up on his sofa the next day with the empty bottle lying at his fingertips. He groaned and pushed himself up from the old, plush cushions around midday. After a quick shower and a change of clothes he felt a little bit better, but he couldn't forget Lili's face- the downtrodden determination he had seen there.

He chewed glumly on a jam roll and tried to regain his usual spark by fueling himself with coffee, but he still felt drained and weighed down as he made his way to the church to meet Ludwig. Not even the thought of meeting his friend seemed to cheer him up, but he certainly didn't want to sit by himself in his house all day. He was so tired of being alone.

Feliciano reached the church and, as usual, Ludwig was there before him, patiently sitting on the steps and watching the pathway for him. Feliciano murmured a greeting as he settled himself down beside him. He looked at his shoes. Lovino had bought him them two years ago as a gift, and they were his favourite pair just for that reason. They were velcro too, since Feliciano had trouble tying his shoelaces. It was nice that his sibling thought of that. His fratello may not have been a warm person, but he cared about Feliciano, even if it wasn't nice when he left him alone for so long. It hurt a bit, actually.

"Are you alright?" Ludwig asked after a good few minutes of silence, disrupting Feliciano's ramble of thoughts. They had reached the point where their silences were comfortable, but usually the Italian talked so much that they rarely lapsed into quiet.

"I'm a bit worried about things." Feliciano said vaguely, idly picking at a loose thread on his sleeve. "And... I suppose I've been feeling a bit lonely lately too."

"I see. Is your brother still away?"

"Yes. He's usually gone for a long time while he's on business, but... it never gets better. It's still lonely without him at home."

"...I understand."

Feliciano looked to Ludwig. The other man had his eyes fixed ahead again, past the swaying grass and the gravestones in the churchyard. He never divulged much information about himself, but... was it possible Ludwig was lonely too? He did seem to always have time for Feliciano and their meetings.

Feliciano felt right then that it was time to move their friendship onwards, past just casual meetings every few days at a decrepit building. The mutual meeting spot had been ideal when they were first getting to know each other, but maybe now it was time to invite Ludwig to do more normal, friendly things- get a coffee together, take a walk around town, go for dinner- anything. Maybe it would be good for the both of them- two lonely souls.

"Ludwig, would you... like to come over for dinner tonight?" Feliciano said pleadingly. "I don't want to go back to an empty house again. I'm sick of it."

Ludwig blinked, and looked slightly perplexed, appearing sincerely surprised by the sudden offer. Perhaps he had never received an invitation to dinner before. Eventually, he responded, his cheeks stained that adorable shade of pink.

"I'd be glad to."

* * *

**A/N: **I LIVE AGAIN. a bit of a boring chapter i felt, but there's more stuff to come.

reviews would be lovely. crit, love, encouragement- they all urge me to chug on and write more. o/


	6. Chapter 6

Because Feliciano had arrived so late, they left shortly afterward. Feliciano usually ate rather late into the evening, but any excuse for an early dinner was quite alright with him. Feliciano clung to Ludwig's arm as he led him home. He chattered non-stop about what his house was like, what food he was going to make and how Ludwig might even have the pleasure of meeting his cat! Having a friend over for dinner was such a rare occurrence he couldn't help babbling excitedly until they reached the apartment building. He led Ludwig up the narrow stairways to the top floor, the stone steps worn by people coming and going over the years.

They reached the door and Ludwig hung back as Feliciano unlocked it. He pushed it open and skipped inside, flicking the light switch and dropping his keys on to the little wooden table in the hallway. "Here we are, Ludwig!"

It took Feliciano a moment to realise that Ludwig hadn't followed him inside, the sound of his heavy footsteps behind him absent. Feliciano turned around to see his friend still standing in the doorway, a full step back from crossing the threshold. "Ludwig?"

His friend looked at him expectantly. Feliciano frowned, confused and wondering what Ludwig was waiting for. After a somewhat awkward silence, Ludwig spoke.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?"

He sounded so serious, and Feliciano couldn't help but laugh. "I already invited you over for pasta, silly!"

Ludwig did not move- immobile and sturdy, his gaze locked his Feliciano's. The Italian was starting to feel a bit scared.

"Invite me in."

He wasn't demanding, but he wasn't exactly _asking _either. Though there was a chill to his voice that Feliciano normally wouldn't have picked up on. It was as if the lack of invitation was an incredibly grave matter.

Feliciano blinked once more, then finally gave his invitation, quiet and timid. "...please come in, Ludwig."

Ludwig looked at him for a moment longer, then glanced down at the floor in front of him. Then, much to Feliciano's relief, he nodded and carefully stepped into the artist's home. "Thank you," he said, the scary edge to his voice gone.

Whatever concerns Feliciano previously had were quickly forgotten. After all, Ludwig was German and a really serious man, maybe little expressions of etiquette like that were important to him, and perhaps it was a culture difference. Feliciano swore to himself to remember such things in the future, because he wanted Ludwig to visit him lots more!

"...no problem." Feliciano said, though he frowned, still rather confused and afraid he had somehow offended his guest. "Ah... Come through here, I'll show you the kitchen..."

* * *

Ludwig was no expert when it came to culinary exploits, but he knew Feliciano had a talent for cooking simply by observing him in the kitchen. Cooking was yet another art he seemed to have easily perfected, so he stirred, drained and chopped with flawless ease. He chattered away to Ludwig as he prepared their meal- fettuccine alfredo served with chicken, apparently –and Ludwig was quite happy to sit at the small kitchen table and observe.

For his kind, eating was more of a luxury than a necessity. Blood was their main source of energy, but it wasn't as if they were incapable of eating. Their digestive systems were perfectly functional like the rest of their bodies. They weren't undead, or even partially so- they were simply diseased, mutated somehow. Ludwig wasn't entirely sure on how to accurately define it. Some vampires went without food, while others still kept to a normal eating pattern like Ludwig did. The way he saw it, it was just one of the little practices that allowed him to grasp at the remains of his humanity. He happily dug in when a bowl of fresh pasta was placed in front of him, piled so high that a few pieces were in danger of tumbling over the side. Compared to the takeaways and quick, shoddily crafted meals he and his brother usually threw together, it was practically gourmet.

"I think I made too much..." Feliciano pouted once he had sat down, prodding at his own portion with the tip of his fork. "Ve, it's just Ludwig looks so big and muscly and like he needs lot food, but if it's too much I won't mind if you leave some!"

Ludwig shook his head, finishing off his first mouthful before replying, "It's alright, I prefer large portions."

Ludwig had lived through a crippling recession back in the twenties. After months of eating nothing but bread made from sawdust grains and the occasional rat, Ludwig had always appreciated the quality and quantity of food. The Italian nodded happily and continued talking away, even when he had his mouth full. It wasn't a very attractive sight, even for Feliciano, so Ludwig generally kept his eyes on his food. It would be impolite to scold someone when he was a guest in the house, after all.

They both eventually finished their large portions, but remained at the table to talk. Feliciano told him many stories about his work, his family, even his cat. Ludwig offered a few vague tales, but felt sorry he couldn't give the Italian more. It was nice, even though he had to watch what he was saying.

Feliciano eventually ran out of steam, and they lapsed into a comfortable silence. Feliciano hummed thoughtfully after a while, twirling his fork around his empty bowl thoughtfully. "I told you my brother had a dangerous job, didn't I, Ludwig?"

"You mentioned it, yes."

Another pause. Feliciano bit his lip, seeming to hesitate. He eventually spoke. "...do you want to know what it is?"

The clock on the wall ticked. Ludwig placed his fork down and leant his elbows against the old kitchen table with a frown. Feliciano was looking at his with wide eyes, waiting on Ludwig's response. The Italian seemed oddly serious about sharing this with him and despite Ludwig's usual preference for keeping out of other people's business, he found himself nodding in response.

"Bene!" Feliciano stood up, his chair scraping audibly against the floorboards.

Feliciano took him into the hallway, delving into a cupboard to look for something. Ludwig waited, arms crossed and frowning. What exactly was Feliciano going to show him? Was his brother involved the Mafia? Some other sort of gang?

Well, he was about to find out.

Feliciano emerged with a long pole with a hook on the end, which he then used to open a hatch on the ceiling Ludwig hadn't even noticed. A ladder emerged from the darkness above, rumbling down on rollers and bumping against the wooden floor at Feliciano's feet. Feliciano set the pole aside and placed one foot on the bottom rung of the ladder. He turned to look Ludwig directly in the eye.

"I'm letting you see this because I trust you, Ludwig," Feliciano said with a sincerity that was odd for him, "I... I really like you and I don't want to put you in any danger. I want you to know. You can decide if you still want to be friends with me afterward."

Before Ludwig could question him, Feliciano ascended the ladder with admirable agility, clambering up the last few steps. Seeing he had little choice, Ludwig followed.

The attic was dim and stuffy, the air stunk of damp, old wood and metal. It was pitch black in the room and it was awkward for Ludwig to find his footing at first. He could hear Feliciano shuffling around in the dark, somewhere to his left. His eyes began to quickly adjust to see outlines of large objects, probably tables or some other kind of furniture.

There was a click. Suddenly the room filled with dim light. Ludwig immediately began to wish the room had been kept in darkness.

He had been right, the large objects were tables and stands. On these stands were and assortment of things. Stakes. Vials. Metal flasks. Altered weaponry. The walls were covered in crucifixes of metal and wood, attached to the wall with iron nails. Bibles and other thick, old books were piled in one corner by a desk covered in papers, diagrams pinned above it. Diagrams of vampire anatomy, or at least vaguely correct theories.

He had walked straight into the den of his predator.

"Wh- what is all this?" Ludwig stammered, his hands curling into fists by his sides.

"It's... Um, have you ever seen those movies?" Feliciano casually picked up a chunk of wood with a sharpened tip- a stake. "You know, the... the vampire ones. I mean, they're not really accurate at all, but-"

"_This _is what your brother does?" Ludwig cut in, his grip tightening further. "He kills vampires. Is that what you're saying?"

"Y- yes." Feliciano waved the stake, then looked at it thoughtfully. He took a few steps over to Ludwig, and he had to resist backing against the wall or swatting that _thing _out of his hands. "I know it's hard to believe, Ludwig, and please don't think I'm crazy, but it's the truth! Honestly!"

Ludwig had little doubt Feliciano was being truthful, and that was what truly unsettled him.

"It's one of the only ways to kill a vampire, you know." Feliciano said, testing the point with his finger. "You have to make sure you do it right-"

Feliciano tapped the edge of the stake against his chest. Ludwig stopped breathing. Too close, that was too damn close-!

"-you have to get it through his heart."

-_or his head_, Ludwig added mentally. He watched as Feliciano carefully placed the lethal weapon back on it's stand with it's brothers. Ludwig forced out a bark of laughter, still eyeing it warily. "Don't tell me you actually believe in this sort of thing, Feliciano..."

"I do. I've seen a few you know! And I know my family wouldn't lie to me." Feliciano said simply, picking up a lead bottle- a container for holy water- and tossing it from hand to hand. "They taught me how to use all of this." He smiled innocently, far too innocent for a man sitting in a room haunted by death. "Just in case."

Ludwig swallowed thickly. Even if Feliciano didn't have appropriate knowledge or guts to use any of them, accidents could happen. He just wanted to get out of here. He had to be careful, he had already blurted out accusations without thinking. If he appeared to know too much it might appear suspicious. As dense as Feliciano could be, Ludwig didn't want to take any further risks. The last thing he wanted was that stake back against his chest.

"I see." he said carefully, clasping his hands behind his back, mainly to stop himself attacking out of instinct. "Er, weren't you going to make dessert as well?"

"Oh, yes!" Feliciano replaced the bottle with care, taking Ludwig's hand and dragging back towards the ladder. Thank God he was so easy to distract, especially when it came to food.

"I'll make Ludwig the best zeppole ever! But," he stopped short of the ladder, hand hovering over the switch."Ludwig can't tell anyone about this place, okay? If fratello finds out I told anybody..."

There was an odd edge to his voice, anxious and deadly serious. Remaining calm, Ludwig forced himself to sigh, then shook his head. "It's... hard to believe all this, Feliciano. It seems... well, rather surreal." He was a good liar. He had to be. Feliciano's face flickered with the concern he expected. He then brought his finger to Feliciano's lips. "But I won't tell a soul. You can trust me."

Feliciano grinned and finally opened the hatch. Ludwig sighed in relief.

Eventually it came the time for Feliciano finally to bid Ludwig goodnight. They hadn't ventured onto the subject of vampires over their dessert; Feliciano didn't mention it and Ludwig didn't want to seem suspicious. It would be easier for him to play the part of the avoidant skeptic.

It was obvious by the end of the evening, however, that the subject was still plaguing both their minds. Ludwig wanted to ask many questions that he simply couldn't, but he needed more information, to at least know what Feliciano's brother was up to and whether or not he was an immediate threat.

As he sat and thought on how to broach the subject, he remembered what Feliciano had told him not so long ago: his brother's work partner's sister was missing, with the implication it had something to do with their line of work.

"A while ago you told me that a friend of yours had gone missing," Ludwig began. "Did her disappearance have anything to do with... your brother's line of work?"

Feliciano hesitated and Ludwig feared he had said the wrong thing, but then the Italian nodded. "Yes."

For a moment it didn't look like Feliciano would elaborate, but before Ludwig could say anything, he spoke up again. "Her friend was killed by... by _them_. Her big brother is a slayer too, and he taught her how to protect herself against them just like mine did, but she ran away when she heard. She wants to avenge her friend. I... I really have no idea how a girl like her just... seemed to snap like that."

So there were at least two slayers running around Venice and a wild girl desperately seeking revenge. Three possible hunters and the vampire brothers had been comfortably wandering around oblivious to it. He could have quite easily passed any of them in a street, or stood behind them in a queue.

"So her brother and yours are looking for her, as well as looking for the culprits?"

Feliciano nodded again. "Yes, that's right."

"Are they close to finding them?"

Feliciano paused and looked at Ludwig. After a few beats, Ludwig shook his head. "I'm sorry, I've pried too much." He knew when he had pushed his limit. He reached over the table, placing his hand over Feliciano's. "But I'll still keep a lookout for her, and I'll still tell you if I see her."

He honestly meant that, not just for Feliciano's peace of mind, but as a possible distraction and pacifier for the slayers hunting them down.

Feliciano smiled. He rose from his chair and shyly walked around the table. Then he leant down and hugged Ludwig. Ludwig wasn't sure how to return the gesture, such affection was something he was unfamiliar with in his long life, but he awkwardly patted Feliciano on the head as he nuzzled into the German's firm, muscled chest.

"Grazie, Ludwig. For coming tonight. For not leaving. For being my friend."

"...you're welcome, Feliciano."

Feliciano made a little noise of happiness, still snuggling- there was really no other word for it –into Ludwig's chest. "I'm glad I have you."

They stayed like that for a while, Ludwig stroking Feliciano's hair while the other man clung to him and eventually sunk down to sit on the German's lap. It was... nice, if Ludwig completely honest with himself. It was good to feel wanted, to feel normal. Even if it was just for one night. And an effect of the wine they had drunk.

They eventually parted ways with friendly words and a promise to meet up again soon. Feliciano stood on his tiptoes and Ludwig expected another hug, but this time received a kiss on the cheek.

When he arrived home, Gilbert was distracted by yet another terrible soap opera on television, and Ludwig walked right by him to retire to bed early to avoid any awkward questions. Despite what he had found out that night, the wine they had drunk during and after dinner was clouding his thoughts. Settling down to sleep, he decided he would deal with the worry of knowing the situation they were in tomorrow once the effect of the alcohol had fully worn off.


	7. Chapter 7

Ludwig woke early the next day and lay in bed for hours, staring up at the ceiling.

His mind was plagued with worry and 'what ifs'. His friend was from a family of slayers, possibly a line he didn't know about. Gilbert was usually only forthcoming with information about known slayer families if they became an immediate problem; if Ludwig knew too much he would constantly be glancing over his shoulder more than usual, according to the older brother. As much as Ludwig hated to admit it, he was probably right.

Aster had curled up on what little floorspace there was, and eventually yawned awake and nuzzled Ludwig's hand sleepily. He didn't respond until she began tapping her nose against his wrist, tail wagging expectantly. Eventually he forced himself out of bed and towards the kitchen, the dog at his heels. She yapped appreciatively as he opened the door and emptied a tin of meat into one of the dog bowls.

He slumped down into one of the chairs outside, merely watching the animal as she ate. He had been called a monster, an animal, though Ludwig could see very little comparison between himself and the domesticated creature happily chewing at the chunks of meat in her bowl.

Ludwig sat back, closing his eyes and beginning to think. His mind was normally so dominated by logic he could easily come to the best conclusion, but now emotions were compromising his reasoning. He could tell Gilbert what he knew, but would they simply leave or would he wish to harm Feliciano? There was no way he could put his friend at risk.

Then Ludwig had another idea. It seemed he and his brother moving on would be the safer option for everyone. The only problem was they were not scheduled to move for a good few months and had no incentive to leave Venice just yet. If he wanted to keep Gilbert from knowing about Feliciano's family, he would have to convince his brother they should leave.

He felt utterly crushed considering leaving Feliciano, but it had to be done. If he wanted to keep them all safe, he was prepared to sacrifice his own happiness to do so.

Aster finished her meal and, as if sensing his mood, rested her head on his knee in a supportive way. They looked at each other for a moment, inhuman together, before the dog padded off into the expanse of dust.

* * *

Ludwig had, in Feliciano's opinion, looked progressively more ill over the next couple of weeks. They hadn't breached the topic of his brother's line of work, but Feliciano was enjoying himself too much too care. Ludwig had suggested they start doing more together, so they had eaten in all sorts of place, went to see films, taken walks along the canals. Feliciano hadn't genuinely smiled so often in a long time, and all it took was being with Ludwig.

Ludwig smiled more too, but occasionally his smiles were slightly sad, like he was worried about something. Feliciano had asked him on several occasions if he was feeling alright, but Ludwig had been quick to dismiss his concern and insist that he was perfectly fine. It was getting difficult to shrug of his worries, even though it was usually easy for him to do so.

Perhaps, in telling Ludwig his secret, he had shown the other man how much he trusted him. How much he cared from him. It was certainly a weight of his shoulders, in any case.

They sat by a fountain as the sun set. Feliciano happily lapped at a vanilla ice cream, occasionally offering it to Ludwig and chiding him into taking a lick.

"One day, Ludwig, I'll make you ice cream." Feliciano said determinedly, taking another long lick. "What sort of flavours do you like? Mint? You seem like the sort of guy who would like mint..."

"Chocolate is my favourite." Ludwig replied, cap pulled low over his face. "Though I do like mint as well."

"I was close, ve!" Feliciano chuckled, offering the cone to Ludwig again. The other man leaned forward and flicked his tongue over the cone, catching a melted part of the ice cream that was threatening to spill. It was a strangely attractive sight, in Feliciano's opinion.

There was a buzz and an obnoxious sounding ring tone that made his German friend huff and reach into his trouser pocket. Ludwig brought out his phone, an older model. He barely glanced at the screen before moving to put it back in his pocket. "Just my brother. He sends me those stupid chain text things..."

"Ve, Ludwig, I never knew you had a phone!" Feliciano opened his backpack and rummaged through the random art supplies and forgotten wrappers to find his own mobile. "You should give me your number! Then we can talk whenever we want!"

"Uh," Ludwig looked slightly hesitant, and Feliciano was afraid he would say no. "Well, alright..."

They exchanged numbers, Ludwig bashfully admitting that he didn't really have a lot of numbers on his phone. Feliciano had smiled and reassured his friend that he didn't really have that many either. Only people that were important to him. Ludwig had blushed and looked away.

Ludwig walked Feliciano back to his apartment as it was beginning to get dark. They said their goodbyes by the door downstairs, and Ludwig was about to turn to walk away before Feliciano threw his arms out.

"Ludwig!" He trilled happily, rocking his heels with his arms outstretched, "Hug! Hug!"

Ludwig sighed and rolled his eyes, but to Feliciano's joy he complied, leaning down and wrapping his arms firmly around the slighter man.

Feliciano could feel the other man's breath on his neck, warm against his skin as he held him close. His eyes fluttered shut and he bit his lip, his grip on Ludwig's t-shirt tightening. It felt so good, so right being this close to him, and they stayed like that for a good while. Then Feliciano felt Ludwig's breath begin to shudder against his neck.

"Ludwig?"

The other man started. He moved away from Feliciano, staring at him. His pale face was flushed slightly and his normally sharp eyes were clouded over. Ludwig seemed to hesitate for a moment, then moved his hands away from Feliciano's shoulders. "I- I need to go, Feliciano."

"Oh." Feliciano blinked, confused. "Okay..."

Flustered, he watched the other man disappear into the darkness, his pace brisker than usual.

* * *

Ludwig pushed through the small crowds of people, cursing the night-life in the city. He was so aware of the blood pumping through their veins, fresh and tempting, but he had to hold back. He hadn't eaten in weeks. He couldn't bring himself to. His inner conflicts and feelings had given him a severe aversion to hunting. His mood had worsened, Gilbert had been on the receiving end of his spite. Now he had been driven over the edge, and he couldn't hold back any longer.

He rummaged in his pocket and brought out his phone, hitting the one key to call the only number he had on speed dial.

Gilbert took a while to answer, as expected. He was meant to be out hunting that evening. When he finally did, Ludwig cringed at the loud gulping sound from the other end of the phone. "You kinda called at a bad time, West-."

"Where are you? Are you eating?" Ludwig growled, gripping the phone so hard his knuckles were turning white.

"Yeah..." A pause, followed by a slurping noise and a whimper. "Bridge up the road from that fancy bar we went to. Near the statue. If you want to share, you better get here fast."

Ludwig hung up and turned sharply into a dark series of alleys, uninhabited aside from a few stray cats fighting and hissing at one another over leftovers.

He turned the last corner and was hit with the tempting stench of fresh blood. His pace quickened into a jog and carelessly he hopped down under the stone bridge instead of taking the narrow set of stairs nearby. He would look back at this error in embarrassment, but also as a reminder of the importance of keeping himself fed- with bloodlust came carelessness.

Eyes adjusting to the shadows unnaturally fast, he saw his brother. He had their meal trapped in a tight grip, holding thin wrists against the stone wall with one hand, the other stuffed in a mouth to muffle screams. He raised his head from the bloodied neck and smirked at Ludwig, inviting him to join.

Ludwig was by Gilbert's side in a flash, yanking hair out the way and driving his fangs into the soft flesh and drank deeply. Gilbert backed off after a while, releasing the arms and withdrawing his hand, but by that point there was no need for him to pin down their prey any longer. The screams had muted down to only desperate gargling.

Eventually the younger vampire fell back against the ground, sighing as if he had just eaten a very large and satisfying meal. Gilbert was off to one side, cleaning his face and admiring his appearance in the reflection of the water. Ludwig licked his lips. His face was stained with warm crimson.

"Ha! And you say I'm the messy one!" The older vampire laughed, his eyes glistening brightly in the dark. There was a pause, then his tone softened. "You alright now, West? I know you've been off your food lately. It's a phase we all go through."

"Ja," Ludwig grunted in response, wiping his face with the back of his sleeve. "I'm fine now, bruder."

Ludwig shut his eyes then and basked in the rejuvenated feeling washing over him. He had needed that. He had needed it so badly. At that moment he couldn't even feel any guilt or consider the consequences that had been plaguing him for the past few weeks. Sated, he pushed him up, brushing dust from his trousers. It was only then that he properly looked at their prey.

Her eyes were wide and round, a dull shade of teal. Her blonde hair was cut bluntly above her shoulders, a few strands sticking to her face with sweat and blood and a green ribbon dangled from the locks it had held together. And she was young, too young to be wandering around on her own this late, surely.

It took a moment through his post-frenzy fog to put the pieces together. When he did, he went pale, paler than usual for him.

"Gilbert..." He mumbled barely loud enough for his sibling to hear.

"Mhm?" Gilbert stood up and turned, picking some stray skin out from between his teeth.

"Do you know who this is?"

Gilbert glanced down at the girl, then looked back at his brother and shrugged. "No. Should I?"

Ludwig reached in his pocket and took out the crumpled picture Feliciano had given him only a few weeks ago. Gilbert crouched down on his knees, taking it from his startled sibling and scanning the picture, his red eyes flickering back and forth between it and the dead girl.

"...uh, okay." He paused and turned to look back at his little brother, red eyes narrowing. "Is this bad?"

"_Yes, _Gilbert, it _is_ bad." Ludwig snapped, eyes darting around the cramped space, suddenly paranoid.

"West, have you got something to tell me?"

Gilbert was looking at him with a sternness that was odd for him. There was silence for a moment, mainly because Ludwig wasn't sure quite where to begin. He opened his mouth, then shook his head. There was no time to tell his brother the whole story at the moment.

"Yes, I do." He admitted, looking away like a child caught in the act. "But I can't explain it all right now."

"Then tell me what I need to know."

Ludwig took a breath. "She... This girl is involved with slayers. They're looking for her as we speak."

Gilbert looked at him blankly for a moment. Ludwig waited, expecting to be scolded or scoffed at. The older vampire only sighed and then raised a pale eyebrow. "Oh. Guess that's kind of a big deal then."

"Yes, it's _kind of a big deal_!" Ludwig snarled back, barely resisting the urge to yell in case someone came across them.

"Well, why not just throw her in the canal with the other brawds. Jeez, West," Gilbert waved a hand dismissively, "for someone who's pretty smart, you're really dumb sometimes."

"The police _and_ the slayers are looking for her. She'll be a top priority." Ludwig explained, running a hand through his hair. "If they find her too early, the body won't have started decomposing, or bloating. They'll find the marks easily." He tapped the set of marks left by his brother on one side of her neck. "The canals will be the first place they'll search."

Gilbert rolled his eyes. "Get real, West. There's a shitload of canals in this town. They won't find her that quick."

Ludwig was unsure. Usually they disposed of the bodies so carelessly, but this was the first time he was hesitant, worried about being cornered. Gilbert moved closer, reaching up to give him a firm shake by the shoulders. "Trust your awesome big brother, okay? Worst comes to worst, we'll skip town, come back in a decade or so." A pause. "I'm guessing you have more stuff to tell me anyway. Stuff we'll need to sort out."

Ludwig looked down at the floor and then nodded sullenly. "I do, Gilbert. And you're right. Perhaps I was overreacting."

"Good boy." Gilbert patted him on the shoulder then moved back to the corpse. "Now let's get rid of this then talk over a beer, eh?"

"Ja, let's-."

Ludwig was cut off by a screech and blast of a gunshot, the shell passing right by his ear. He spun around, crouched and ready to pounce. More shots fired, the bullets bouncing off the walls and ground around them, one stray shell hitting the girl's corpse in the arm, spraying Ludwig's own arm with blood.

"_Run_!"

As soon as his brother commanded it, Ludwig swept the body up into his arms and fled. He heard their attacker yell something in Italian, the sounds of a one-sided gunfight echoing through the alleyways. He reached a tall building, and swiftly climbed up the uneven brick wall and on to the roof with catlike agility. He took off over the rooftops, jumping easily over the small gaps between the buildings.

He didn't have a direction in mind when he took off, but he eventually found himself skidding to a halt in a cloud of kicked-up dust in front of the old church. Ludwig didn't know why his feet had brought him here. Perhaps the location made him feel safer even in the emptiness of night. He shoved the side-door open with his shoulder and it banged against the wall. Ludwig cringed at the loud noise echoing through the cavernous hall. He listened, and heard little besides the few previously roosting birds in the rafters, but still Ludwig remained in the doorway, keeping the door open with his foot in case he had to flee once again. He closed his eyes and attempted to regain his bearings, but his brain was working at a phenomenal speed thanks to the insane adrenalin rush he had just experienced.

After a steady count to ten, Ludwig opened his eyes and glanced down at the body in his arms. Vacant teal eyes stared right back at him. For the first time in decades he found himself slightly unnerved by it. He had to get rid of the girl's corpse, and not just to delay the hunters who would be in more fierce pursuit of them. He took a few cautious steps forward, looking back and watching as the beam of light disappeared as the door closed behind him. There was little time before the slayer possibly tailed him here. He had to think fast.

Ludwig's eyes darted around the room, conceiving a number of hiding places. He considered seeing if the church had a basement, but that would be too obvious. His gaze then settled on the raised stage at the front of the church, where a priest would normally give his sermon from. The vampire carried the limp body and moved up on to the platform and behind the altar, the floorboards creaking in protest beneath his feet. They were loose.

He dropped to his knees and pried at the floorboards with his fingers. He worked methodically; taking care not to break any of the boards as he lifted them and memorized where each one went. He didn't know how long it took him, but after enduring many splinters a sizable gap in the floor emerged. It was damp and warm in the gap, it stunk of mold and he was sure he could hear rats scuttling around. The body wouldn't last long under there.

Gently, he placed the corpse into the gap. He tucked her dress skirt underneath her legs and crossed her arms over her chest.

Her vacant teal eyes stared up at him as he sealed her wooden tomb.

* * *

**A/N:** Ah, finally, another chapter.

It only occurred to me since posting the last chapter that I've been working on this fic for well over a year now. I apologise for being such a slow updater, guys, but I've really enjoyed writing this. Sometimes I won't add a word for weeks, sometimes I'll sit down and write a sizable chunk of a chapter within a day. Either way, it's been great working on this and slightly relieving this part is reaching its end.

This part? Yes. There's going to be a second and possible third part to Bloodlust. The second part has been partially drafted and has small parts already written. Whilst I'm working on the second part, I think I'm also going to begin posting more parts to my other GerIta AU fic, Paranormality, which only has it's introduction posted so far. Like this fic, it will contain strong supernatural themes, but it's not about vampires and not as dark as Bloodlust. Well, I don't intend it to be, anyway! I'd like to write something a tad more light-hearted after this!

I'm also going to be moving up to university within the next few days (yes, Calvin, you are so grown up!), so I may vanish for another little while after this chapter. Especially since the next one barely has anything written so far.

**TL;DR author's note**, but basically thanks for sticking with me while I write this, and I'll try to find the time to keep writing new stuff. c:


	8. Chapter 8

The phone rang as Feliciano was making dinner that evening, having meandered home after Ludwig's sudden departure. Carefree as always he took the time to turn down the heat, wipe his hands and wander over to the sofa, where his phone sat on the arm.

"Ciao-?"

"What the hell took you so long to answer?"

Feliciano cringed, holding the phone away from his ear. "Oh, hello, Lovino..."

"I told you to always keep the phone nearby, didn't I?"

"I was making dinner-!"

"Don't give me any fucking excuses!"

There was a pause. Feliciano heard his brother sigh on the other end of the phone. His brother was normally always a bit irate, but there was a strain to his voice. Worry.

"Is everything okay, fratello?"

It took a moment for Lovino to reply with forced calm. "I- yeah. Everything's fine. Just checking up on you."

"Oh, I'm all right!" Feliciano chirped, wandering back through to the kitchen, "Like I said, I'm making dinner."

"Right. Good."

Lovino wasn't actually listening, Feliciano could tell. He would have been quite happy to continue babbling to his brother anyway, if he hadn't been cut short.

"Feliciano, I want you to listen to me." Feliciano nodded, even though his brother could see him. "I want you to lay low for a while. Don't go out unless you have to. And I mean for _food_ and shit, not petting cats or whatever it is you do."

"Oh, okay..." He frowned, confused and suspicious. "Did something happen, fratello?"

The weighted pause that followed was Feliciano's answer.

"Just promise me you'll do what I say."

Feliciano sighed, "I promise, Lovino."

He had tried to chatter idly after that, but it was clear Lovino was distracted by something and they hung up soon after. After talking with his brother, Feliciano mildly brooded anew over this familiar loneliness. He never chose to be born into a slayer family; it was cold, isolating and scary. His childhood was filled with secrets and living in hiding, in fear of the creatures he would have rather never knowing existed. He was jealous of children who only had pretend monsters in their closets to fear at night: they did not solely and constantly live in fear of the creatures prowling the streets. They where innocently ignorant, along with their parents, to the way things truly were. Feliciano had grown up with looking over his shoulder in constant fear of what lurked in the darkness.

But there had been a light in the darkness, so to speak. His new friend may be shy and not very talkative at the best of times, but he was always there for Feliciano. He humoured him, shared things and... cared. Feliciano had never had anyone like that before. He liked Ludwig. A lot. A dopey as he knew he could be, he knew the difference between friendship and, well, whatever came after that.

His feline friend meandered lazily into the room, hopping up on to the table and purring demandingly for attention. Feliciano scratched him behind the ears absent-mindedly. He had taken a few ladies out for coffee in his time, but he never properly dated someone before, especially with intent to pursue it into something more.

"I do like him very much." He told the cat affirmatively, thought he feline didn't so much as glance at him. "Perhaps... hmm, I think I will tell him. Soon. I don't really have much to lose, do I? Maybe we could go on a date, if he'd like..."

The cat began to purr and, although he knew the animal had in no way understood, took that as a sign of support as he babbled on.

* * *

The week that followed their unfortunate unveiling, the brothers barely left their home. Ludwig had slipped back after a long detour with bleeding hands and a feeling of dread settling in the pit of his stomach. Gilbert spent the evening helping him remove splinters from his sore fingers as they healed. They decided it would be best to lay low for the time being and re-evaluate their options. There was no question that they would have to leave the city, but Ludwig had insisted on treading lightly and planning in scrupulous detail so they could slink away as discreetly as they'd arrived.

As the days dragged by, Ludwig only grew more concerned. Not just about fleeing the town, but how he was running out of time to see Feliciano for the last time. He just _had _to see him again before they left. The way things seemed they wouldn't dare return to the city until Feliciano was either an old man or even long dead. He would have given anything to remain in the city for just a bit longer, but the streets of Venice were no longer safe any more.

They were sitting in absolute silence again, Gilbert perched like a stone gargoyle by the window, keeping a keen eye on the outside and not so much as glancing at the awful soap opera playing on television. Ludwig was scrutinizing a two day old paper with Aster laying her head upon his lap.

He was idly scratching behind her ears when a quiet ringing noise began from the kitchen; his phone. Gilbert's head swilved round and Ludwig rose to answer it, frowning at him questioningly. Before he could saw anything, Ludwig waved off his concern with a wave of his hand as he answered.

"Yes?"

"Pronto, Ludwig! It's me!"

There was only really one person it could be. Ludwig was caught between relaxing at the sound of his voice and scrabbling up an explanation for his future absence.

"Hello." He glanced around at his brother, who was still watching him carefully. "Er, is there something you need?"

"Oh, well, I, uh... I've just been wanting to talk to you. I'm sorry I haven't been at the church lately and I've been worried that Ludwig would think I've abandoned him, which is silly. And anyway I had something I kind of wanted to tell you-."

"Can't it _wait_?"

There was a pause. Ludwig then realised that he had sounded a lot harsher than he had intended. He sighed. "I'm sorry; continue."

Feliciano seemed to hesitate for mere second, then carried on rambling, as he did. "Um, well, I was thinking that... that maybe you could come over and I'll make you dinner again and we could have some more wine. We could make dessert together too! You said you liked baking, right-?"

"Feliciano," he cut in, trying to keep his voice steady, "I'm trying to... I need some time alone right now."

"But... Ludwig, I need to talk to you..." He sounded desperate, "Is something wrong?"

"Nein, nein. Nothing that you should be concerned about." Ludwig replied, gripping the phone tightly. He noticed Gilbert's shining red eyes narrow in the dim light.

"Ludwig," Feliciano sighed, "Please talk to me. I'm worried and... I really do have something important to tell you."

"Can't you tell me now?"

"Noooo! It's _important_."

Ludwig inhaled sharply. This could be his chance. His last chance to see Feliciano. He could tell him something vaguely resembling the truth and say his goodbyes properly. It stung to consider, but it would be better than disappearing without a trace. A proper goodbye. Closure. One last warm embrace from the little oddball who had managed to earn a place in his heart.

"All right." He said, steadily as he could manage. "We can meet. Right now. At our church."

"_Our_ church." Feliciano paused, and Ludwig assumed he was taking a moment to consider. "Okay then, Ludwig! Our church, right away!"

"Sehr gut. I will see you shortly."

"See you soon, Ludwig!"

He hung up, feeling his brother's eyes burning into him.

"Who was that?" Gilbert snapped, crossing his arms sternly.

Ludwig swallowed. "There is something I must-."

"Answer me, Ludwig."

Of course Ludwig had to answer- he was obliged to. "Feliciano."

"Ah, the guy from the church, right?"

After the fiasco, Ludwig had been forced to tell Gilbert what happened and how he knew the girl's relation to the slayers. He kept details about Feliciano and their activities together as vague as he could, so Gilbert simply knew him as his friend from the church, who happened to mention a family friend was missing.

"Yes."

"It's too dangerous, West."

"Gilbert," Ludwig faltered, looking to his brother with pleading eyes, "I really do need to see him. Just one more time."

Gilbert's eyes narrowed further for a moment and Ludwig's hopes of closure vanished. Then his face softened, and he let out a low whistle.

"Wow, West, you have it bad for this guy."

Ludwig spluttered as Gilbert laughed and fell back on to the soft sofa cushions. "Go then."

"What?"

"I said go. Look after yourself, don't be too long."

Ludwig frowned at how simple that had been, how casually Gilbert turned back to the television with a sense of ease. "Thank you, bruder."

And with that, he was out the door.

He sprinted through the streets, his feet barely making a noise on the ground as he ran. It had crossed his mind that this was some sort of a trap- throwing him a line with Feliciano as the bait. Had Feliciano or his brother pieced everything together somehow? He didn't want to believe that, not after everything; after realizing how deep his feelings for the human went.

If only he hadn't lowered his defences, maintained the caution that had became wired into his instinct, he would have noticed the figure tailing him for most of his journey. The figure who now watched him from around a corner before speaking into a battered Nokia.

"Got him."

* * *

**A/N: **I can't apologize enough for my prolonged absence, but unfortunately university drained a lot of my inspiration and dabbling in other fandoms has distracted me somewhat. I hope you like this chapter, as we are plodding close to the end. I can't say how long it'll be before the next chapter is finished up and posted, but I can promise that it will be done, and not be abandoned. Thank you for sticking with me so far and I really hope you continue to do so!

I mainly lurk around tumblr daily, as germanmade also, so feel free to send me messages there as well. If you have any questions regarding the characters or universe, that's probably the best place to get me!


	9. The End

I would like to apologize everyone who is/was following this story for my obnoxiously long absence.

Unfortunately, life happened. In general. As I mentioned when I last updated this sometime last year, university played a huge factor in destroying my motivation for doing anything creative outwidth my coursework. I started writing this story a few summers ago, and a lot has changed since then.

Although it's coming up to summer again and this gives me more spare time, I'm afraid it's unlikely this series will continue. Hetalia will always be dear to me because I met some amazing people through it and there are characters that are still very dear to me, but I have moved on fandomwise for a multitude of reasons. I have also pretty much abandoned this site in favor of Archive of Our Own (my profile over there is archiveofourown users/captaincreeds/profile for those of you that are interested).

I'm very sorry to everyone that was following this story. I did have chunks of the ending and a continuation going, but like I said it's unlikely they will ever be posted (unless there's demand for them). I primarily write for Homestuck and Avengers now, so that's the sort of thing you can expect from me on other accounts. As well as AO3 you can find me at** captaincreeds **on tumblr, and I also take writing and art commissions via deviantArt ( germanxmade. deviantart art/writing-commission-information-378431935 plug plug).

Thank you to everyone that reviewed and followed Bloodlust. Seriously. Looking back the writing, in my opinion, could use vast improvement and tweaks in lots of places, but I am grateful for all your reviews both on here and the occasional message on tumblr.

See you around!


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